CHL/NHL Top Prospects Headline Sportsnet’s Can’t Miss Events This Week

TORONTO, ON (January 31, 2012) – This week on Sportsnet… the second half of the NHL season gets underway with three games on Tuesday night; the CHL’s top-40 NHL draft eligible players are showcased at Wednesday’s 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, Barclays Premier League hits the pitch for nine matches, including the highly anticipated Chelsea vs. Manchester United contest, and UFC 143 preliminary fights and the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship from the Netherlands round out the week on Saturday.   

NHL

Sportsnet returns from the NHL All-Star Break on Tuesday, Jan. 31 with three regional NHL match-ups beginning on Sportsnet East as the Ottawa Senators look to stir it up in Beantown when they face the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins at 6:30 p.m. ET.  Dean Brown calls play-by-play and NHL Hall-of-Famer Denis Potvin provides analysis while Jason York reports rinkside with host Ian Mendes.  On Sportsnet Oilers, companion channel to Sportsnet ONE, the Edmonton Oilers host the Colorado Avalanche at 7 p.m. MT.   Play-by-play man Kevin Quinn along with analyst and former Oiler Louie DeBrusk will call the game, while Mark Spector joins Gene Principe at ice level for pre-game and intermission analysis.

HOCKEY CENTRAL’s Nick Kypreos and Doug MacLean join host Daren Millard to preview both games, and provide intermission and post-game analysis. Plus, the panel discusses all of the latest and greatest trade-related news ahead of Sportsnet’s all day coverage of HOCKEY CENTRAL Trade Deadline Presented by Coors Light on Monday February 27^th, with the Hockey Central Trade Tracker Presented by Coors Light.

Sportsnet caps off its NHL regional triple bill on Tuesday as the Calgary Flames welcome the league’s No.1 team, the Detroit Red Wings at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Sportsnet West at 6:30 p.m. MT.   HOCKEY CENTRAL, with host Brad Fay and analysts John Shannon and Billy Jaffe, provide pre-game, intermission and post-game analysis. Rob Kerr and former NHLer Charlie Simmer hit the broadcast booth for play-by-play and analysis, respectively, while Eric Francis and Rhett Warrener provide additional Flames analysis with host Roger Millions during the pre-game show and intermissions. 

*NHL Regional Restrictions apply to these broadcasts

 

2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

The CHL’s top-40 NHL draft eligible players take centre stage on Sportsnet with the 2012 Home Hardware CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific, as well as online at sportsnet590.ca. 

HOCKEY CENTRAL host Jeff Marek and analyst Damien Cox go live at Prospera Place in Kelowna, BC to preview the game with complete analysis on all 40 prospects vying to impress NHL management in attendance. RJ Broadhead handles the play-by-play with analyst Sam Cosentino, while host Rob Faulds provides interviews throughout the broadcast with NHL coaches, GMs, scouts.  Faulds will also speak with some of the prospects named by NHL Central Scouting in their 2011-12 midterm rankings for the upcoming NHL Draft in June.

Throughout the broadcast, Sportsnet will bring fans as close to the action as possible with special features including the utilization of a wireless handheld camera to capture compelling moments on the ice during stoppages in play.

Fans tuning into the game online on sportsnet590.ca will hear Mel Raskin with the play-by-play and analyst Dave Michaud. Sportsnet 590 The FAN and Sportsnet 960 The FAN will also provide news and updates heading into the game.  Sportsnet’s multi-platform coverage also features sportsnet.ca columnist Patrick King filing features on the top draft eligible players and hosting a live chat with fans during the game. 

 

Barclays Premier League

Sportsnet launches its nine-match extravaganza of Barclays Premier League action this week starting on Tuesday, Jan. 31 when Manchester United hosts Stoke City at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific.  At the same time, Sportsnet ONE will feature Wolverhampton and Liverpool while Sportsnet World has Everton facing first-place Manchester City.  Brad Fay and Dick Howard host SOCCER CENTRAL to preview the day’s matches and provide halftime and post-game analysis.

Leading off Sportsnet’s weekend BPL schedule on Saturday, Feb. 4 is the Norwich City and Bolton tilt at 9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT followed by Manchester City taking on Fulham at 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific.  Gerry Dobson and Craig Forrest will host SOCCER CENTRAL to preview both match-ups followed by the post-game show at 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT, focusing on all the weekend’s action from around the league.

United, sitting in second-place behind Manchester City by three points, resumes their race for first by rounding out Sportsnet’s soccer marathon on Sunday, Feb. 5 against Chelsea at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on Sportsnet World, the exclusive Canadian provider of Sunday BPL coverage.    

Sportsnet's entire BPL broadcast schedule this week is as follows:

Tuesday, Jan. 31

Manchester United vs. Stoke City      2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific)

Wolverhampton vs. Liverpool             2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE)

Everton vs. Manchester City              2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet World)            

Wednesday, Feb. 1

Bolton vs. Arsenal                               2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet World)            

 

Saturday, Feb. 4

Norwich City vs. Bolton                      9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific)

QPR vs. Wolverhampton                   10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT (Sportsnet World)            

Manchester City vs. Fulham              12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific)

 

Sunday, Feb. 5

Newcastle vs. Aston Villa                   7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT (Sportsnet World)            

Chelsea vs. Manchester United         11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT (Sportsnet World)            

 

UFC 143 Preliminary Fights – Exclusive Canadian Coverage

Sportsnet enters the Octagon in Sin City as the only network in Canada to broadcast the UFC 143 preliminary fights.   Coverage gets underway from the Mandalay Bay Events Centre in Las Vegas on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific. The preliminary card features newcomer Max Holloway facing featherweight Dustin Poirier, who has won all three of his matches since joining the UFC last year,  including a d’arce choke submission victory over Pablo Garza in November. 

Sportsnet Connected will also provide coverage leading up to UFC 143 (which features Nick Diaz fighting Carlos Condit in the main card) with nightly reports hosted by “Showdown” Joe Ferraro during the evening and prime editions starting on Wednesday, Feb. 1. Additionally, sportsnet.ca will have live streaming of the pre-fight press conference on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, the official weigh-in on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and the post-fight press conference on Saturday, Feb. 4.

 

2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship – Netherlands

Sportsnet fuels fans with the exciting conclusion of the 2012 Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship in Valkenburg, Netherlands on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE.  Valkenburg is the second stop in the 2012 season and features the longest ice cross downhill track ever built. Canadian Kyle Croxall aims to extend his lead atop the overall standings following an exciting victory in the season opener last month in St. Paul, Minnesota.   The native of Mississauga, Ontario is ranked first with 1000 points while his younger brother Scott sits third with 600. 

 

 

 

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